In the pair production process, photon energy gets converted to particle/antiparticle pairs. Imagine a single photon in free space, turning into one electron and one positron (antielectron), each with mass mec2. Assume for simplicity both particles move together with equal momenta in the same direction as the original photon as shown, and the photon disappears. Prove this can’t happen!

Modern Physics
3rd Edition
ISBN:9781111794378
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Clement J. Moses, Curt A. Moyer
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Clement J. Moses, Curt A. Moyer
Chapter9: Atomic Structure
Section: Chapter Questions
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In the pair production process, photon energy gets converted to
particle/antiparticle pairs. Imagine a single photon in free space, turning into one
electron and one positron (antielectron), each with mass mec?. Assume for simplicity
both particles move together with equal momenta in the same direction as the original
photon as shown, and the photon disappears. Prove this can't happen!
Transcribed Image Text:In the pair production process, photon energy gets converted to particle/antiparticle pairs. Imagine a single photon in free space, turning into one electron and one positron (antielectron), each with mass mec?. Assume for simplicity both particles move together with equal momenta in the same direction as the original photon as shown, and the photon disappears. Prove this can't happen!
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